Recent excitements

We had a pal over for the weekend - a doggy pal. Barley (collie cross) came to stay while her owners were away for the weekend - she's about 2 so needed somewhere that she would be walked - no danger there, don't think she's used to that much exercise! She and Maddie got on like a house on fire, chasing each other round the garden (the lawn's been well aerated, don't think Richard's seen it in daylight yet which is just as well really, it's looking fairly torn up). I had to be a spoil sport sometimes and bring them in as Maddie barks so much!

It can be difficult having a third dog around but you get used to it and we quite missed Barley when she was picked up on Sunday night. She was exciteable but no trouble. She even learned to stick up for herself and Murphy at one point had to be coaxed past her while she was eating (she was growling warningly, obviously scared he was going to nick her dinner). Then all three of them went round each other's bowls, just to make sure nobody had missed anything!

Richard had done his best to spoil her for going home - I sent a picture of her curled up on the sofa with R to her mammy, who was pretty shocked I think. Oops! Och well, it was only one weekend, she'll go back to her routines back home.

Meanwhile we're hoping our two will get used to the new routine now that I've gone back to fulltime work for a year. I leave 8.30am, the dogwalker comes 11-12, I take a late lunch and come home ton see them then I'm home from work about 5.15, 5.30. So they're never left too long. I hope they agree.

I was standing in the garden this afternoon, watching them play (do they play in the garden when we're not there? They always go and play when we go outside but when we go back in they come back in too - I must get CCTV!) and saw a funny thing - Murfs was lying down and Mads jumped on his back (facing the same way as him) - he stood up and she got a pickyback ride for about 3 seconds before she fell off! It was pretty funny. Bare back Murphy-riding... could make something of that, i wonder if I could train them to do it?